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Resident urges Troy to consider anti-puppy-mill ordinance; council asks staff for legal review
Summary
A Troy resident urged the council to consider an ordinance modeled on other cities to curb sales from commercial dog-breeding operations; council members expressed interest in studying the legal ramifications and suggested referring the idea to a citizen board for review.
At the April 7 meeting a Troy resident, Morgan Zack, asked the council to explore a "preventative puppy mill ordinance" similar to measures adopted in other communities to limit the sale of commercially bred pets in pet stores.
Zack told the council about the "puppy mill pipeline" in which USDA-licensed commercial breeders supply broker networks and pet stores; she cited a local store, The Family Puppy at Oakland Mall, as participating in that market and said some puppies may carry health problems and leave buyers with large veterinary bills. Zack described consumer protections she characterized as predatory in some sales models.
Council members responded that they would be willing to explore the idea. Council member Hamilton said she would like to review model legislation used elsewhere and Council member Chanda asked staff and the city attorney to research legal ramifications. City Attorney Bloom suggested the Bridal Control Appeals Board (transcript) could be asked to review the proposal and provide recommendations to council.
Council members noted potential legal and business implications, including the risk of targeted ordinances affecting a single business. No ordinance was introduced or voted on; council asked staff to return with more information and legal analysis on options used by other municipalities.
